As a novice photographer starting out, you’re likely to find lots of advice, some of it beneficial, and some of which should be taken with a grain of salt. It may be tempting to do things by the book, but the beauty of arts like photography is that it lends itself well to experimentation. As in art, there are no hard “rules” to photography, only guidelines. Even then, it’s up to you whether you decide to follow them or not. No matter where you are in your journey with photography, it’s likely that you’ve heard at least one of these myths about photography and photographers.
Bad Light
In photography, you may encounter less than optimal lighting conditions, but there is no such thing as bad light. So long as you have light, you have the opportunity to create images. What you may lack in light you will have to make up for with creativity, so think outside the box! You need not limit yourself to just the golden hours or sunny days – there are ways to create amazing, unique images even in the most adverse weather conditions.
“I need a better camera.”
More expensive equipment can yield better photos, but only when used skillfully. It’s easy to catch gear lust, but the truth is that many photographers never outgrow their equipment. Try to use your equipment to its fullest potential before you upgrade. Better yet, invest in education by attending a photo workshop, or take a vacation instead of pouring money into the latest equipment. Impressive photos have been captured using smartphone cameras, and lackluster images have been shot on very expensive gear.
Can’t Shoot Without a Tripod
There are a number of creative ways to stabilize a camera: use a wall or boulder for example. While tripods are definitely a useful tool, they can be somewhat limiting if you’ve grown to rely on one. When you can, try shooting hand held. The vice of tripods is that photographers often set them once and rely on them to shoot everything from the same level, which can be monotonous. Exercise your creativity and experiment with shooting your subject from different perspectives. Times when you will absolutely need a tripod include shooting long or multiple exposures and macros.